Rose Bowl a home game’ for USC

Friday

Dec 28, 2007 at 12:01 AMDec 28, 2007 at 6:57 PM

"It's a home game for us and all our home fans,'' Sedrick Ellis said. "We've been in the Rose Bowl four of the last five years. To us, it's like a home game. I don't see why this would be any different.''

John Supinie

By now, USC senior defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis pretty much has Rose Bowl week down to memory.
"I know it by heart,'' he said Friday. "There's Disneyland, Lawry's, the Improv. It's a lot of fun.''
The Rose Bowl is nothing new to the Trojans, who make their third straight appearance and a record 32nd trip overall. While Illinois coach Ron Zook attempts to make this a normal week of practice, this is home territory for USC.
The Trojans meet Illinois in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Illinois hasn't played in the Rose Bowl game in 24 years, so the Illini should be excused if they need to grab the GPS or just follow the police escort.
USC doesn't need a map.
"It's a home game for us and all our home fans,'' Ellis said. "We've been in the Rose Bowl four of the last five years. To us, it's like a home game. I don't see why this would be any different.''
USC will practice this week at Howard Jones Field on the USC campus, about a dozen miles from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Not only does USC have the home-field advantage, the Trojans also have more big-game experience.
"It's a pretty big advantage for those guys,'' said Illini freshman wide receiver Arrelious Benn. "They're in their back yard. They're used to playing in games like this. They're acclimated to playing in big games like this. For us to come out and play in a big game like this, we're happy, but we want to win the Rose Bowl.''
Gameday is Tuesday, but Zook gave the players a set of daily notes and planned to build toward gameday just like a normal practice week. So if this was Friday, it was really Tuesday in game week. That's what the book said anyway, according to Illini quarterback Juice Williams.
Actually, "it says both,'' he said. "Friday. In parenthesis, it says Tuesday. It's a great idea. It lets us know exactly what to prepare for and expect on each day.''
If this is Tuesday or Wednesday in game week -- or Friday and Saturday for the rest of us -- it's a day when the Illini will likely have some live work and two-minute drill.
The Illini practice at the Home Depot Center in Carson, a multi-sport complex that's the home to the Los Angeles Galaxy and David Deckham of the MLS. Otherwise, Williams and his teammates are enjoying the week.
"How can you go to Disneyland and not be happy,'' he asked. "We go out and have fun. In the morning, we go to the practice field, and it's all business.''
Locksley Details
West Virginia made an initial phone inquiry into the interest of Illini offensive coordinator Mike Locksley concerning the vacant head coaching position, he said. There was no contact to Locksley or his lawyer, and West Virginia never asked to interview Locksley or bring him to the campus, he said.
"The initial call to ask if I was interested in the job was over a week ago,'' he said.
Locksley has agreed to a contract extension through 2012 but hasn't yet signed it.
Beef Bowl
When Illinois attended the Beef Bowl at Lawry's Friday night, Illini freshman wide receiver Arrelious Benn didn't plan to get into the act. He sticks to a strict diet.
"I ain't going to eat no red meat, man,'' said Benn.
His teammates and the rest of the Illinois traveling party took care of the previous record. Illinois consumed 870 pounds of prime rib at the location just off Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Illinois broke the record set the previous night, when USC ate 799 pounds.
Before there's an investigation, Illinois also brought the largest group ever to the event. The Illini had 215 individuals, well more than the 176 the Trojans had in the house one night before.
The Beef Bowl is a 52-year tradition with the Rose Bowl. Though it's not a real competition (only two servings of prime rib are served per player, organizers say), there's no concern over "where's the beef?''
Just don't expect Benn to eat the meat. He went with the fish.
Heading into this year, Purdue held the bowl record by consuming 734 pounds prior to the 2001 bowl game. Michigan's Ed Muransky is a Beef Bowl legend who claimed to eat 16 pounds (that's eight slabs) in 1978.
Etc.
Illinois sophomore receiver Joe Morgan didn't make the trip for what Zook called "personal reasons.''
John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com. For more coverage, read Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com and www.pjstar.com.